Shock absorber



" Nov. 25, 1930.

w. B. HITE, JR

sHocK ABSORBER Filed Jan. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1930. w. B. HITE, .1R 1,782,533

SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Jan. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllll x Hl! I L@ l;/ l

Ft'ym5, y/

Patented Nov. 25, 1930A I l 'I y i 'i WILLIAM 3.31m, argon wnBs'r-En Gnovns, MIssoURr f snoox Asomsnn l Application led January'l'l, 19.29. Serial No. 332,332.

This invention relates generally to shock .type of hydraulic shock absorber is that! conabsorbers,` and more particularlyto doublesiderable wear occurs between the wing pis'- acting, fluid-restrained or hydraulic shock ton and the adjacent walls of the chamber, absorbers for vehicles andthe like. resulting in leaka e that is not easily com- 6 Prior to the present invention such hypensated for in t e rotary piston .type of 55 draulic shock absorbers havel consisted genabsorber.- A further objection is that, on ac-` erally of a cylindrical casing whose interior count of the converging of the. stationary was divided into a pair of diametrically opwallsand the movable wallsA toward the axis posite semi-cylindrical chambers by a stationV of the casing, the fullstroke of thel pistons 10 ary intermediatewall of the casing. The said permitted by the capacity of the chambers 60= chambers were each sub-dividedl by oscillatcannot be utilized. Accordingly/,the purpose ing pistons or radial Walls affixed to a central.v ofthe present invention is" the provision of i shock-operated shaft and the movement lof ashock absorber ofthe character described these oscillating radial walls or wings forced inswhich the aforesaid disadvantages and unfluid in the .chamber on one side of such wings desirable features will "be 'obviatedb Other 65 into the chamber on the other side of'these objects and advantages of the presentinven- Wings throughsuitable ports in the stationtion will be apparent `in they following ary wall of the casing andA through ports in description ofan illustrative embodiment the oscillating piston member. The ports in thereof.- l

the oscillating` piston were controlled from VIn the accompanyingdrawin'gs, forming 70 the exterior of the casing by a needle .valve part of this specioatiomin which like numextending into thefront end of the oscillatbers o f reference denotev like parts wherever ing shaft. The ports in'thestationary wall fthey occur,r I were provided. with check' valves to permit" Figure 1 is an elevation showing the Inanthe flow of fluid infone direction only. The nei' of applying the shock absorber of `this.75 resistance toshock is developed by the fluid invention to the spring and frame of a'vehit that is being forced 'through these check cle; Y valves and controlled ports, the resistance,` Figure 2 is a plan view of the shockabbeing less on compression ofrthe springs so as sorber as it appears with the cap ofthe casto cushion the latter, becauseof the openinging removed to reveal the interior thereof; so of the check ValveS, aI1d being greater on the Figure 3 is a verticalV sectional view of rebound .so as to check thevv latter, because of the device taken through both vpiston cylthe closing of the check valves. -An auxiliary inders;

chamber was also provided 4to hold the o ver- Figure 4 is a 'vertical sectional view taken How from the mainor working chambers and on the line 4-4 in Figure 3.- 35 tol supply fluid to the latter asneeded. n Figure 5 is la horizontal sectional view ,The single lneedle val-ve -regulation, hoW- taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 3. 'l ever, is objectionable, because it does no t per-- Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed longimit adjustment of the resistance to comprestudinal sectional view of one of the sleeves 40 sion independently of the adjustment of the and valves. 90

resistance to the rebound.' v'Another objec The casingof the device comprises a lower tionable feature is that the device must be section or base 1 and anupper section or remanufactured in both right and left types, or movable cap 2 'for the base l, the said secof opposite resistances, oni account of the tions co-operating at their juncture-3 to form relative opposite rotation of the shafts on bearings 4 in their front wall 5 and rear wall" 95. the right and left sides of the vehicle. The 6 for a shaft 7.y The lower portion of the base internal parts of oppositev resistance are', 1 has an intermediate wall or partition 8l extherefore,'not interchangeable, and each right tending from the front wall 5 to the rear or left type must be one'individualfassembly. wall 6 to divide the interior of the casing 50. A further objectionable feature of this prior thereat into a pair of cylinders 9 and 10, 100

in which 'pistons 11` and 12, respectively', are adapted to reciprocate. The shaft 7 has ailixed thereto within the .casing a rocker arm or lever 13 that extends from each side of the shaft 7 to points Lover theeylinders 9 and 10. The pistons 11 and 12 present upvwardly projected lugs or ears 14 on their upper or outer. end faces 15. The'clugs 14 26 or stamping them out of' sheet or plate metal.

Blocks 18 may be riveted to opposite sides Y yofthe arm 13 over the shaft 7 and function vas spacers between the lever 13 and the adjacent shoulders or faces 19 oIi the inner sides of the front wall 5 and rear. wall 6 of the cas- L ing.1 Ears 20, that form lateraliextensions of the rear wall of the base 1, are perforated at 21 to receive suitable bolts or screws 22 by means of which the device may be attached to the frame 23 of the vehicle. The cap 2 may be securedl to the base 1 in any suitable manner, preferably by means' ofzscrews 24,

that ass down through vertical holes 25 l there or in the Wal s of the cap 2 and thread into suitable tappe holes `26 located in the base 1 in registrationwiththe holes `25 in the cap 2. Communication is afforded between cylinders 9 and 10 by means of Lholes 27 and 28 in the lower end of the intermediate wall 8, internally threaded toreceive the externally threaded sleeves.29 and 30, of check valves 31 and 32, respectively. Check valve 31 permits iuid to flow only from cylinder 9 into cylinder 10, and check`valve 32 permitsfluid to llow' only from', cylinder 10 into cylinder 9, the flow in the opposite directions being substantially prevented. -As shown in Figs. 5 `and 6, said sleeves29` and 30 are each provided with a pin-29,a for theV retention of the check valve .therein under all adjustments of the valve elements 33 and 38. The flow through sleeve 29 may be 'regulated by needle valve stem 3 3, threaded eX- ternally to fit the-tapped hole 34A in the left through the cylinder 9 to extend its inner vend 36 into cooperating relation to the opening 37 in the sleeve 29. The flow through sleeve 30 may likewise be regulated -by needle valve stem 38, threaded externally to fitthe tapped hole 39 in the `right side or wall 40 of the casingand passing through the cy-"` linder 10 to project its inner end 41 into cooperating relation to the opening 42 in the. j sleeve 30. Valve stems 33 and 38 are preferably secured in their adjusted positions suitable check nuts 43. The front end 44 f shaft 7 projects exteriorly of the front wall 5 to receive a crank or shock arm 45, having an opening or bore 46 th'at is lcorrugated or luted internallyl to fit -the complementally, and longitudinally corrugated annular surface' of the projected shaft portion 44. The extreme end 47v of the shaft isv threaded to receive a nut 48, that clamps the lever'45 against a shoulder 49 on the shaft 7, Shock lever 45 is `pivotallyy connected at 50'to the upper end of an adjustable link 51,.whose lower `end ispivotally connected at 52 to a bracket 53, preferably bolted to tne spring 54 by the usual bolts 55 that clamp the spring 54 to the axle 56..

.The construction of the shock absorber of this invention having been described, its operationlwill be readily understood. The cylinders 9 and 10 are lled with a suitable liquid, such as oil or glycerine, and the valves 33 and 38 are adjusted until the desired resistance for checking the rebound and cushioning the compression of the springs 54 is obtained. It will be observed that when the device is attached to that side of the vehicle shown in Figure 1,.the compression of the spring 54 will lift link 51 and rotate shock arm 45, and consequently rock'ergarm 13, in a clockwise direction, thereby lifting piston llvand lowering piston 12, and forcing fluid from cylinder 10 into cylinder 9 through port 27'and valve opening 37 only sothat the cushioning effect must be regulated by adjusting valve 33. On the rebound, Huid will be forced from cylinder 9 through port 28 and valve opening 42 only into cylinder 10, so that valve 38 must be adjusted to regulate the rebound'. Obviously, when the device is attached to the opposite side of the machine, the conditions will b reversed, and valve 38 must be adjusted to regulate the compression and valve 33 to regulate the rebound. Since the resistance to compression may be vadjusted independently `of the resistance to the rebound, ythe device is more readily applicable to avariety of road conditions and to vehicles o'f different weightand dimensions, and moreover, the interchangeability of the adjusting valves renders unnecessary the production of right and left types of the device. It will be noted further that the type of piston and cylinder employed may be close- Sde 01 .W9-11 -35 0f the Casn and P aSSig ly fittedso that there is little liability of undue leakage under extended and severe conditions of use, and that any leakage. past the pistons will be returned to the cylinders due to their position in the lower end of the casing. The cap may also be Ieasily removed, when the mechanism inay be easily lifted out of the casing for inspection and repairs.

Having thus fully described this invention, I hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as

it is evident ythat many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spiritof this invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a shock absorber, a casing having an i intermediate wall at one end to divide the interior thereat into a pair of Huid-containing compartments, means for contracting the` fluid in either of the compartments while eX- panding the other, a pair of ports in the inj termediate wall provided with check valves to communication between said cylinders in re-k limit theflow in each'port to a direction opposite to that of the flow in the other port, a needle valve threading through one side of the casing and 'extending across the adjacent chamber to control the opening of one of the said ports, and a needle valve threading through the opposite side of the casing and extending across the ,other chamber to cont-rol the opening of the other port.

2. In a shock absorber, a casing having an intermediate wall at its lower end to divide the interior thereat into a pair of cylinders, lever means pivotally mounted in the casing above the cylinders, and pistons in the cylinders pivotally connected to said-lever means at opposite sides respectively of its aXis,-the said intermediate wall having a pair of passages through its lower-end adapted to effect spective opposite directions only, a valve stem projecting through one yexterior wall of the casing and an adjacent cylinder to control one of said ports, and another valvestem projecting through the other wall of the casing and the other cylinder to control the other port.

ranged to define an intermediate wall having a pair of independent ports in its lower portion to effecticommunication between saidy chambersand means associatedwith each port ywhereby the passage-of the fluid therethrough may be controlled independently of one another and in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. j

' `WILLIAM B. I-IITE, JR. p

'3. In a shock absorber, a casing presenting chambers adapted to contain a fluid and ar- 

